sijohnston
Registered user
Having put a deposit down on the new GSA in November, I took delivery on Friday afternoon.
I got the best part of 200 miles in that evening and it didn't take me long to realise it would take some getting used to after my well used and ultra faithful 800. I'll spare you all the long winded report as with all these things, so much is completely subjective and ultimately the only thing to do is to go out and ride it for yourself. In deciding, I spent half a day living with a KTM 1190Adv and the second half with the 1200WC standard bike to get a feel for the engine at least. I ended up favouring the BMW on account of build quality, comfort (esp 2-up), and since I won't off-road this bike much, it made more sense than owning a heavily modified off-road orientated 800 and a KTM.
So a few random points: Contrary to a lot of reports on here, at just over 6ft, I find the screen great, but I'm coming from the little one on the 800. I also love the green and was told by the sales guys at the dealership who had just returned from their first viewing at Milan 'don't order the green, it's awful!' Anyway, went with my gut and did so, and don't regret it at all. If ever a bike suited the Matt Olive, it was this one. In addition, from a design and aesthetics point-of-view, the orange 1200 decals work brilliantly on it and I'm slightly amused as others try to outsmart the BMW design ladies by going their own way. Gearbox is great too, with crisp shifts up and down. 'Ride by wire' is also no problem and anyone who has any adaptive abilities will adjust to it in a heartbeat.
If I was being critical at this early stage, I'd say there's a strange hum off of the bike at lower speeds and is more noticeable without ear plugs. Can't decide whether it's the anakees or just the nature of the mechanics in the engine. Either way, it's not unbearable, just different. I also don't like the move to 'conventional' indicator switch, but used to it already.
All-in-all though, it's a fantastic engine coupled with a chassis that makes me think I'm really going to enjoy this bike. However, having sunk so much money in it, I'll leave the 800 to tackle the harder stuff and perhaps be a bit of a princess about this one. I've ridden the old twin cam GSA too and as much as there will be many on here who will justify their sticking with what was and still is a great bike, this new one is the one that finally made me succumb to the big enduro and go shaft-drive and seems to me to represent a very significant step in its evolution.
I got the best part of 200 miles in that evening and it didn't take me long to realise it would take some getting used to after my well used and ultra faithful 800. I'll spare you all the long winded report as with all these things, so much is completely subjective and ultimately the only thing to do is to go out and ride it for yourself. In deciding, I spent half a day living with a KTM 1190Adv and the second half with the 1200WC standard bike to get a feel for the engine at least. I ended up favouring the BMW on account of build quality, comfort (esp 2-up), and since I won't off-road this bike much, it made more sense than owning a heavily modified off-road orientated 800 and a KTM.
So a few random points: Contrary to a lot of reports on here, at just over 6ft, I find the screen great, but I'm coming from the little one on the 800. I also love the green and was told by the sales guys at the dealership who had just returned from their first viewing at Milan 'don't order the green, it's awful!' Anyway, went with my gut and did so, and don't regret it at all. If ever a bike suited the Matt Olive, it was this one. In addition, from a design and aesthetics point-of-view, the orange 1200 decals work brilliantly on it and I'm slightly amused as others try to outsmart the BMW design ladies by going their own way. Gearbox is great too, with crisp shifts up and down. 'Ride by wire' is also no problem and anyone who has any adaptive abilities will adjust to it in a heartbeat.
If I was being critical at this early stage, I'd say there's a strange hum off of the bike at lower speeds and is more noticeable without ear plugs. Can't decide whether it's the anakees or just the nature of the mechanics in the engine. Either way, it's not unbearable, just different. I also don't like the move to 'conventional' indicator switch, but used to it already.
All-in-all though, it's a fantastic engine coupled with a chassis that makes me think I'm really going to enjoy this bike. However, having sunk so much money in it, I'll leave the 800 to tackle the harder stuff and perhaps be a bit of a princess about this one. I've ridden the old twin cam GSA too and as much as there will be many on here who will justify their sticking with what was and still is a great bike, this new one is the one that finally made me succumb to the big enduro and go shaft-drive and seems to me to represent a very significant step in its evolution.
